Liquid cooled wall for confining hot gases



April 30, 1968 H. M. BAILLIE LIQUID COOLED WALL FOR CONFINING HOT GASESFiled Oct. 6, 1965 l/VVE/VTOR HENRY M. BA/LL /E A fforney United StatesPatent Ofiice sesame Patented. Apr. 3%, 1%68 ABSTRAT Q15 THE 'JESCLGSUREA liquid cooled wall for use in the forming of gas conduits or hoods.The wall is made of a plurality f modular elements having a pipe-likebody portion and longitudinal fins protruding from opposite sides of thepipe body. The fins of adjacent elements overlap, but are free to sliderelative to one another when heating or cooling causes expansion orcontraction in the wall.

This invention relates to a flexible liquid cooled wall for confininghot gases. The wall is formed of modular pipe-like elements which lendthemselves to assembly into various forms of curtains, includingstack-like structures suitable for use as hoods for oxygen steelmakingfurnaces, for example. The latter application represents very severeservice, to which the invention lends itself by virtue of its ability toprovide for the expansion and contraction resulting from the severetemperature ranges encountered. Also, it permits relatively ready repairin the event of failure.

The invention may be more fully understood by reference to the drawing,wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of an oxygen steelmalzing furnace withhood;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the hood of FlGURE 1,taken along the line 11-11 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view showing the pipe structure of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view of a modification in pipe structue.

In FIGURE 1, hood 1 is shown in place over oxygen furnace 2, with oxygenlance 3 inserted therein. The hood is made up of parallel-laid pipeelements in extending between liquid inlet and outlet headers, 11) and1c respectively, to which the pipes are welded at their ends formechanical support and cooling fluid circulation purposes.

Pipes la, depicted in FIGURES 2 and 3, are provided with fins 7extending outward from the pipes, on opposite sides, and running thelength of the pipes. These may be fabricated by welding strip materialto pipe. When installed, the fins overlap, as shown, to provide a gasseal between successive parallel-laid pipes, assembled to form a furnacehood or other structure for retaining hot gases.

In instances where the pipes are assembled in a straight cross-sectionalline, the fins on opposite sides of individ ual pipes are directlyopposite each other. However where a curved configuration is desired,the fins are preferably angled somewhat, with respect to each other, asshown by fins 4, for example, in FIGURE 3.

The fins are of sufficient width to permit installation which willinsure continuing overlap 5 under dimensional changes incident totemperature variations. In installation, sufiicieut space 6 is allowedbetween fin edges and pipe body to allow for thermal dimensionalchanges, whereby buckling of fins against adjacent pipe bodies isprecluded.

FIGURE 4 depicts a modified finned pipe 1a, with fins f installed withoverlap 5 and spacing 6, which is functionally similar to the pipe inarrangement depicted in FIGURE 3. These pipe elements may be made byextrusion, for example.

In addition to providing wide compensation for dimensional changesincident to drastic thermal changes, the modular individual pipe unitconstruction facilitates repairs which may be required as a result ofleakage, arising under corrosive gas situations, since only the failedpipe need be replaced.

While certain specific embodiments of the invention have been presented,these are to be regarded as illustrative, to facilitate practice of theinvention, and not as a limitation thereof.

I claim:

1. A flexible liquid cooled wall for confining hot gases comprisingmodular elements in parallel array, attached to fluid carrying headerelements, each modular element comprising a pipe-like body portionhaving two continuous fins lengthwise thereof, said fins extendingoutwardly on opposite sides of said pipe, the fins of adjacent modularelements overlapping to provide a gas seal while leaving expansion spacebetween outer fin edges and adjacent pipe bodies.

2. The flexible liquid cooled wall of claim 1 constructed in the form ofa hood for an oxygen steelmaking furnace.

3. A flexible liquid cooled wall for confining hot gases comprisingmodular elements in parallel array, attached to fluid carrying headerelements, each modular element comprising a pipe-like body portionhaving two continuous fins lengthwise thereof, said fins extendingoutwardly on opposite sides of said pipe, the fins of adjacent modularelements overlapping in a free sliding planar contact with one anotherwhile leaving expansion space between outer fin edges and adjacent pipebodies.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 813,918 2/19G6 Schmitz 138-38 X2,805,851 9/1957 Becker et al. 26632 2,916,055 12/1959 Brumbach 138-1112,998,640 9/1961 Huet 138111 X 3,111,400 11/1963 Hofi 266-35 X I.SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM S. STEPHENSON, Examiner.E. MAR, Assistant Examiner.

